After the song was first aired in September the TV station was deluged with calls from Somali Londoners offering donations towards the ransom pot.

Ahmed Abubakar, managing director of Universal TV, said: "People were saying if every Somali in London paid a tenner we could release the couple tomorrow."

Somalian communities all over the world were rallied by the song and a fundraising campaign was started. It is estimated that as a result around £150,000 was donated towards the Chandlers long-negotiated release.